"press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness if hope, and a love of God and of all men"

Talofa lava!

This week was was a powerhouse of the Spirit of the Lord. So good.

On Wednesday, we went to the Redlands temple. this temple is beautiful. and the Spirit was so strong. Mm. I love temples. The temple is the place! :) We took pictures as a zone afterwards.

 

Having the temple trip was the best because on Thursday we had zone conference. Pres. and Sister Van Cott and the assistants to the president came and gave us training. I love the Van Cotts. Every time I hear them speak or just interact with them, I know I'm supposed to be here. He was supposed to be my mission president. They are all about working with the members and strengthening the ward, which is the best because missionary work with members is the best way to do missionary work! Elder Browning and I both left feeling inspired to work harder and work happier.

 

So often, I look back and regret not being a better member-missionary throughout high school and before my mission. It is so easy to invite a friend to seminary or to a church event or to read the Book of Mormon. I wish I hadn't been afraid to open my mouth. I wish I had helped the missionaries more and invited friends to meet them. The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is for everybody! It's the best, happiest, most exciting news the world has ever known! And it's true! :)
 

We were also able to teach a lady named Moli, who has been an investigator for a while. Her daughter, Sabrinna was baptized right when I came into the ward. Their family is so great. Moli has been struggling to feel the importance of being baptized, and we felt like we should read thorugh a chapter of the Book of Mormon with her as our lesson. we asked her where she left off. 2 Nephi 31. Boom. THE chapter of all chapters about the doctrine of Jesus Christ (which includes faith in Jesus Christ, which leads us to repent and make promises with Heavenly Father through baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost, and then enduring to the end on the path of righteousness). It was a great lesson, and Moli and her son Omar accepted the invitation to be baptized.
 

The Church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. When we prayerfully read the Book of Mormon and feast upon the words of Christ every day, we draw closer to God. There is real power in reading this book! Real protection from temptation. The spirit of love will fill a home when members of a family read it together and individually. This work is true! And I love it. :)

Love,

Elder Judd

Pictures:

 

 

 

Elder Seright and Elder Langi (See-right and Long-ee). I live with them in a 4-man apartment. They and Elder Browning were from the San Bernardino mission.

The Rialto A zone

 

 

Me and elder browning

 

 

This bridge we pass all the time that I wanted a picture of.

 

Me and elder McCall from seattle. just a good missionary in my zone. been out a long time. from the riverside mission.

My new satchel/bag i got today at goodwill. the other missionaries in my apartment love thrift stores. Good find, eh?

 

 

 

Bonus pictures from first area: 

 

 

Me, Laura, Danny, and Elder Buers from my first area.

 

Me and Elder Buers on the day of the exchange.

"we are made alive in Christ because of our faith"

Hello family and friends!

This week has been so great. So many blessings and so much food. The members LOVE feeding missionaries. I am learning how to feast, temporally and spiritually.

Tuesday was probably the most full I've been so far, and maybe the most full I've been in my life. We had dinner with the Fata family, whom we love. (They're awesome and have a couple of sons preparing for missions and a million kids) First, here's the lesson part of the night: Before dinner we taught about how they can "catch the wave" of missionary work like Elder Nelson taught. They committed to praying for missionary opportunities and to look for the opportunities as they go about their daily lives. I also found out that one of the sons is on the school football team with a young man named John, that I was able to teach my first day in the field back in Redlands. John was super awesome and wanted to be baptized, but was too young and couldn't get permission from his parents. But the Fata's son said he would keep inviting him to activities and stuff. The whole family is super excited about missionary work and we're excited to check up next week on how everything went.

Then, we had dinner. We had rice (which is a Polynesian staple), beef ribs, casserole, polish sausage, salad, and apple soda. Delicious. We finished and were full with food-babies. But then another son came home carrying Popeye's chicken and groceries. I was scared. I thought to myself, "be strong." They insisted that we eat some chicken, so we had a few pieces. At this point, I thinking, "okay, I can't eat any more. I can't do it." But then they brought out dessert--cream cheese croissants and mega-sized muffins. I ate a croissant, which was the smaller of the two. Then they brought out plates with 2 round ice cream sandwiches for each of us. I was hesitant. I looked to Elder Browning, who had already started one. I had to eat one now. So I slowly started and finished one. I couldn't do any more. I couldn't. I had to shamefully leave the other on the plate. I had much more than a food-baby now. I had trouble breathing. It was such good food, but just a little more than I was used to. As we left, I was so full I had a tough time reaching down to put my shoes on. I was afraid I was going to meet Ralph on their doorstep. The drive home was a struggle. Elder Browning drives, and the whole time he was making me laugh so so hard. But I survived and I'm here to tell the tale.

Elder Browning is a great missionary. He is hilarious. I don't go a day without laughing until I cry. Working with him and this ward is really great. The members are so great. On Saturday they went to a Samoan session at the temple. They had us meet them there afterwards to go do missionary work with them. we split up into teams and visited members of the ward we haven't seen at church and others that needed visiting.

Gotta go, but the work is true! Heavenly Father loves us and is so mindful of us! :)

Love, 

Elder Judd

"He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world; for He loveth the world"

Talofa!

 

It was a great last few days in Loma Linda, but a great first few days in Rialto. I had to say goodbye to the wonderful Laura and Danny, but I may see them again soon because they are planning on being baptized this Friday.

 

On Wednesday, we had transfers and all met at the mission office. My new companion, Elder Browning is a great guy. He is the grandson of Elder and Sister Browning, a senior missionary couple who finished their mission in my ward in Loma Linda. They went home after I had been out about 2 weeks. They made good food. :)

 

On Saturday, we baptized Sabrinna, who had been investigating the church with her family long before I arrived. her sister Zharra had been a member of the church for a while, and they both bore powerful testimonies at the service.

 

I love the people of this ward. they are so sincere and kind, and they LOVE missionaries. they feed us so much. Church on Sunday is in Samoan, so it is a completely new experience. But the spirit is the same. the power of the Priesthood is the same. The power of the atonement is the same. I love that God is no respecter of persons. I also love the church building we meet at now. The sacrament table is not in the usual spot in the corner of the chapel, but is directly in front of the pulpit. It is front and center. With this, the Savior and His sacrament are the focus. I love it.

 

I love serving a mission. I know this is where I'm supposed to be. I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us.

"The most important message any of us could receive or carry is a reminder of who we are and how we are loved by our Eternal Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. When the truth and reality of this message sink deep into our hearts, we are drawn back to Them--to Their love, to Their light, and to Their arms." --Elder Patrick Kearon

 

:)

 

Love,

Elder Judd

 

p.s. Thanks for everything and all your prayers. please keep me in your prayers, as I keep you in mine. I love you guys.

"come unto that God who is the Rock of your salvation"

*Editor's note: The blog is now up to date! I apologize for the delay. I just finished my first year of grad school yesterday, and I FINALLY have time to blog for both of my missionaries!

My friends and family,

Today marks 2 months that I've been on my mission. My first transfer cycle is over and my next is beginning. I was just told that i will be transferred this wednesday to the Samoan ward in Rialto! I'll be serving with Elder Browning. I am so excited, especially because i will be a giant compared to the members of that ward. ;)

This week has been SO great, and the entire transfer has been full of miracles and blessings. Our investigators are progressing on the path and are each growing closer to the Savior. Laura and Danny came back in town! They got back from vacation and are ready to continue the lessons and be baptized soon. Randall and Dana are doing so great too. They love the church and they love the lessons. Randall once asked if it was okay if he read the Book of Mormon before bed every night, just because it made him feel good and sleep better. :) They're awesome. And they know that the power of the Book of Mormon is real. It IS real! So real! I wish that everyone would study, ponder, and apply the principles found in the Book of Mormon. When we do that our families are strengthened! Our testimonies grow! Everything that we struggle with in life will dissolve into minor bumps that we easily and cheerfully can overcome through the Savior Jesus Christ. Mm. The Book of Mormon is true. It IS the word of God and it transforms lives.

This week we made a lot of visits to people in the hospital. This area covers 3 hospitals, which is pretty cool. People often contact us and send us to bless their family members in the hospitals. It has been an amazing experience to see the priesthood power of God work miracles in the lives of these individuals.

I went on another exchange with the Pioneer ward. I was with Elder Saxton on bike. He's a super cool guy from Salt Lake. I love riding my bike because I love smiling to the people I pass. Even if they don't want to talk to us, everyone feels better when somebody smiles to them, right? :)

I am so grateful to have had the privilege to serve in the Mountain View Ward. I am grateful that I had the privilege to work with such strong members and such prepared children of the Lord. I'm sad to leave these people that I love so much, but I know that this is the Lord's work and he knows what he's doing. I am excited for the missionaries who have the privilege to serve in the Mountain View Ward. They will be able to witness miracles. This ward has become sacred ground to me, as I am sure the rest of my mission will become.

I love this work. I love the Book of Mormon. I love the Savior. Families can be together forever. :)

Love,

Elder Judd

PICTURES:

me and elder wible
me and sister packard

mtc district

mtc district again

me and the netherlands elders from my byu ward

me and my first district in the field

You're welcome! :)

"Will ye not now return unto me ... that I may heal you?"

Hey people!

It has been a great, great week. I love the ward so much! the members are really catching the wave of missionary work, and it's awesome. every time we take somebody out teaching with us they tell us they feel so wonderful afterwards. It's the truth. there is no greater joy than the joy of the service of God.

We were able to teach a lot this week and were blessed with several great investigators. On Wednesday we taught a young guy named Hamad. He grew up in the Middle East but came to America when he was10. Such a great guy. Strong testifmony in the savior. but he is struggling to forgive himself of things that he has done in his past. He tells us that he will be baptized, but he's not sure when yet because he wants to be totally ready and feel forgiven. He's so sincere, it's the best.

On the same day, we were able to teach a new family and we took Bro. Nygard with us. Theresa is the grandmother of Jada and Lyndon, and she came to church last week. Jada is just old enough to be baptized, but Lyndon is a bit too young. He's got a lot of spunk. It's awesome. Theresa has met with missionaries a tiny bit in the past and has gone to church before. They love it. When they came last Sunday, Jada told Theresa, "This is it. This is the church we need to go to." So true. It is the church! We were able to teach them again Friday. I love these guys. Theresa reads the Book of Mormon to Jada and Lyndon, and they're so diligent. Mm. Love them. and I love the Nygard family. So so glad I've had the privilege to meet them.

On Saturday we met Randall. Randall is the son of Cheryl, the lady who has cancer. She had been telling us that Randall would come into town soon and that she desperately wanted him to be baptized. We finally met him and had a lesson with him and his fiance/girlfriend Dana. Randall is one of the most sincere people I've taught, and him and Dana committed to baptism. They were just in a car accident and Randall is in a neck brace. He has things in his past that he has a hard time forgiving himself for, but they just want to do the right thing now. They're sick of living lives of sin. 

Forgiveness has seemed to be a theme this week to me. It can be hard to forgive ourselves sometimes for the things we have done. But, that is the wonderful thing about the Atonement. The Lord has promised that though our sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow. We can be clean. We can be forgiven. We can start completely fresh through following the teachings of the Savior. It's possible. 

This Sunday was one of the best I've had. I was trying to be better at being "anxiously engaged in a good cause," and I learned that looking for opportunities to serve makes all the difference. Heavenly Father LOVES when we have desires to serve Him. So when we ask for opportunities to help, opportunities to share the gospel, opportunities to make people smile, etc, he WILL give them to us! We just have to do our part and take a step of faith forward, even when we can't see what's ahead of us. And he will be with us. He will bear us up through all things if we are willing to do his will. When we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to the Lord's help. That's a promise from God.

That's all I have for this week. :)

Love,

Elder Judd

*Editor's note: I (Hannah, Jacob's sister) was in Orange County this weekend visiting a friend, so we stealthily went to his apartment and heart attacked his door. He wasn't home as it was 2 in the afternoon, but my heart was racing the entire time! I didn't want him to catch me! Here's the proof:

"What marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy"

Hello sweet friends of the earth!

 

It's been such a great week. the weather's been great! And I really feel like I'm becoming a representative of Jesus Christ.

 

On Tuesday we had our District Meeting and then we grabbed lunch at a sushi place before we drove to interviews with  Pres. Van Cott in Highland, CA. Elder Buers loves sushi and has been begging me to try it since i got here. first time ever... it was pretty good. Haha. Anyway, the interviews went great and I chatted with Sis. Van Cott while i waited. She gave us a dvd that shows how doing family history work has blessed families and stakes and has helped people to gain/regain their testimonies of the truth. I'm excited to use them to help members "catch the wave". 

 

That night we had a guy, Brother Rogers, come out to teach with us. Our appointment fell through, then our backup, and our backup to our backup fell through. so we parked and thought about where to go. A lady named Cheryl came to mind. she is a member who has been really sick with cancer. when we brought her up, Bro. Rogers was like, "oh yeah, my wife is her visiting teacher," so it was perfect. We dropped by her home and found out that she was in much worse condition than before. We talked and gave all the counsel of comfort that came to our minds. then we gave her a blessing. It was a really powerful experience, especially for bro. Rogers. I love bringing members out to teach because it reminds them of the joy they experienced on their mission and strengthens their faith in the process. I also love the plan of salvation. It's so true! Because of the Savior's great sacrifice and love, death is not the end. We can live with our families for eternity if we are faithful to the commandments of God.

 

On Friday we had another cool experience. Last week, a guy in the ward named bro. Shoemaker went around his neighborhood and gave away apples he had picked from his own apple tree. With each apple he would give away a pass-along card on which he'd written the address of the church building and the time of our church tour. He talked to many people, and he gave us the address of a man, Lee, who had a lot of questions. we stopped by Lee's house and he let us in. We were able to teach a bit of the plan of salvation and answer some questions. It was so cool. Such a great guy. But it's so wonderful to think that members don't have to have some crazy, over-thought plan to invite others to listen to the missionaries. "By small and simple means are great things brought to pass"! All that matters is that the invitation is from the heart, with love. the Savior and his spirit will take care of the rest.

I know that Savior loves each of us. His gospel is the only way to access true and lasting happiness, and only in and through His name can we be saved and exalted. This is his work, and I am so grateful to serve him. :)

 

Love,

Elder Judd

"whosoever putteth his trust in Him the same shall be lifted up"

Friends! Romans! Countrymen!

There's no place I'd rather be than the great land of Redlands. This week was grand. And sunny and warm. I'm getting tanS! ...Watch tans, ctr ring tans, all kinds of tans. The sun is always shining, but I think monsoon season is approaching.

On Monday we had dinner with Richards family, and went to Bishop Rowley's (pronounced "Roll-ee") house afterwards. We shared a video called "Hector preaches the gospel" and I got to know his family, and they are so great. I love this ward. The Rowley family is kinda big, so they have a big van like the Ogletrees. the license plate says "RLYPLY" haha. And Bishop Rowley reminds me a lot of Dad. He started his misson in Texas somewhere, but was switched to Spokane, WA after going home for medical reasons. It's complicated, but i was so excited to hear he served in Spokane! They also have a son who studied Nutritional Science for preMed, which was cool.

On Tuesday night we taught a dental student named Joe. He's a really cool guy and was interested in becoming more spiritual. it was a such a great lesson, and we had a priest with us who testified about the first vision. Really great experience, and we committed him to reading the Book of Mormon.

On Wednesday we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders, Elder Alo and Elder Daines. Elder Alo came with me and I had to take over the area for the first time. I was kinda nervous at first, but it turned out to be a really great day. we taught a lady named Dianne, whose daughter is a convert to the church. she commited to baptism and to reading the Book of Mormon. We also taught Laura. we had planned on teaching the Plan of Salvation, but we felt like reading a chapter of the Book of Mormon with her b/c she hadn't been reading. We read Ether 12. The spirit was so strong. We testified about why we need faith and hope in Christ to be an anchor to our soul, especially when we go through hard times.

After her lesson we went to go get an oil change for "Tom", our Chevy Cruze. ;) it ended up taking way longer than we thought it would, so we walked from the car place to go get lunch, then walked toward potential investigators' homes. We were pretty far from any homes/apartments, so it ended up being a long walk with not much people to talk to. But it was really great. I really go to know Elder Alo. He's from the same place as Elder Taylor, and he's a great missionary. I'm really grateful to have such great mission leaders. I learned a lot from that exchange. Also, while we were walking we ran into a guy named Zachariah who said he didn't believe in God . He said that "if God existed, why would he let such bad things happen in the world?" I thought about that a lot for the rest of the week.

On Thursday we had a mission-wide trainer/trainee meeting. it was really great to hear from res. Van Cott again. I love that guy. And it was cool because that morning I had been studying Ether 12  in my personal study, then he talked about Ether 12 in the meeting! Coincidence? I think not.

On Friday we had more exchanges with the Pioneer ward. I went with Elder Harline and we were on bikes (my first time! :o! ). He's a funny guy. He's from monument, CO and knows the Bodily's pretty well. He's also cousins with Johnny Harline (*editor's note: FYI on Johnny Harline-- he has a place in BYU Cougar history for catching the game-winning touchdown from his knees to beat Utah in 2006). I learned a lot from him too.

Sunday was the best. we're really getting to know the members and i'm trying hard to learn everyone's names. We went to the Nygard's home for dinner. They just moved here from Seattle. But, I found out that Bro. Nygard is from Wenatchee, WA, and Sis. Nygard is from Spokane, and they lived in Cheney for a bit (areas where Sis. Emily Judd is serving). They are so awesome. SO awesome.  Bro. Nygard ran track at WSU and ran in the 400m hurdles in the PAC-10 championships, WHILE HE HAD CANCER. Boom. And he also wrestled. Cool family. Young family. I'm excited to work with them more.

Overall, the work is hard, but "salvation isn't a cheap experience". I know that the savior knows exactly how we feel in every part of our life. Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. He wants us to return to live with him. He knows that we struggle and that it isn't easy, but that is why we have the Savior"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

I know that my redeemer lives. I know that he loves us perfectly.

Love,

Elder Judd

PICTURES: